How Malcolm-Jamal Warner Got Cast in ‘The Cosby Show’ — Even Though He Was the Opposite of What Producers Wanted
Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who died tragically at the age of 54, is best known to fans as Theo Huxtable on hit ’80s and ’90s sitcom The Cosby Show. But as he explained in a 2023 appearance on Live with Kelly and Ryan, at 14, he wasn’t quite what producers had in mind for the Cosby family’s only son. In fact, as he revealed in the interview, he was cast by Bill Cosby himself on the final day of auditions.
He said that when his agent first submitted him for the role, they were looking for 6’2″ fifteen year old. He continued, “There was a running joke. At the time, Mr. Cosby’s son was 15 and 6’2″ so now I remember in one of the original scripts, there was something happening and Theo got in trouble … you know, and Cliff would say, ‘Theo! Stand up!’ and Theo would stand up and be towering over him and he would say, ‘Theo, sit down.’ So they were looking for that.”
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However, they couldn’t find someone who fit the part, so Warner’s agent resubmitted him at the last minute. He said he was literally the last audition they saw and remembered the exact date and time: 6:30pm on Good Friday 1984 and the network callbacks were that Monday.
He obviously got the role and it changed his life forever. He was best known for the role until his death on July 20, 2025 from accidental drowning.
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’80s Where Are They Now
March 2023
Who can forget all the great TV shows, movies and music of the ‘80s? See what your favs are up to now!
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